Travel News

The New Year will see a host of hot new attractions set to open across Denmark. It’s the last chance to see Rubjerg Knude lighthouse before it is relocated, and in Copenhagen there’s a choice of exciting new dining options plus the opening of the new Cityringen Metro in Copenhagen.

National pride in Danish heritage is also likely to peak in 2019 as the country celebrates 800 years of its national flag, the Dannebrog. So take advantage of Ryanair’s new regional flights from Liverpool, Edinburgh and Southend to Copenhagen and new thrice weekly flights from Manchester to Aarhus with SAS to get active in Denmark in 2019.

Culture and attractions

As the oldest known national flag in the world, the Dannebrog (meaning the Danish banner) is a source of great national pride, which legend has it, fell from the sky on 15 June 1219 in a battle with the Estonians.

Danish history will also be more accessible to visitors when the new Museum of Copenhagen opens its doors in spring 2019. Moving to its new location on Stormgade 18, the museum will be a source of information on the city’s past, present and future and a reference point of its archaeology enabling city planners to make best use of the space within the city. Meanwhile a series of modern art installations can be experienced at Copenhagen Contemporary Exhibition Centre, the city’s new art centre in the old industrial harbour of Refshaleøen. Showing creations by world renowned contemporary artists, the exhibition space is at the epicentre of Copenhagen’s new creative hub.

Copenhagen Contemporary Exhibition Centre in the old industrial harbour of Refshaleøen

On the harbour of Copenhagen at Knippelsbro the Kulturtårnet (The Culture Tower) is an old copper bridge tower which has been restored to offer a quirky new cultural venue for art, music, podcasts, talks and gastronomy with unique views across the city.

For another tower experience, see the Rubjerg Knude lighthouse built in 1900 on the North Jutland coast, before time finally runs out and the historic lighthouse is moved to a new location.

Iconic Rubjerg Knude lighthouse, on the North Jutland coast

Getting around Copenhagen will be a whole lot quicker and easier in 2019 when the new cityringen Metro opens in July. Constructed in conjunction with the existing Copenhagen metro network the 15.5 km underground loop under downtown Copenhagen’s ‘bridge quarters’ and Frederiksberg will have 17 underground stations. Linking the Nørrebro and Vesterbro areas with the city centre, it will make all the great restaurants, bars and shops more easily available for visitors and the airport accessible from the centre in as little as 20 minutes.

A new attraction for visitors to Copenhagen in 2019 is set to be the opening of CopenHill, the new artificial ski slope and recreational running and hiking trail built on top of Copenhagen’s new Amager Bakke Waste-to-Energy Plant. Designed by Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels the building stands some 85-metres high, and on the roof top café at the top of the ski slope there will be a platform with incredible views of the Danish capital. Ski equipment will be available to hire, and there will also be green walking and running trails where visitors can wander and explore. For those with a real head for heights on one side of the building there will be an 85-metre high climbing wall, the tallest in the world. At 10m wide it will have grips and different obstacles on the way up and will be designed to look like a mountain wall with different outhangs and routes to be found on the way. Aimed at experienced climbers with the right certification the routes up the wall will be rated by difficulty, where climbing becomes harder the higher you go.

Food news

Broaden & Build, organic brewery and casual eatery

Combining a museum with a micro-brewery Ny Malt in Ebeltoft, on the East Jutland coast is transforming the old red chalked malt factory into a centre for culture, the arts, gastronomy and creative industries. The new meeting place will open in 2019 and throughout the year it will house the Museum Østjylland (Museum East Jutland) and the Ebeltoft Yard brewery, which will produce malt and brew beer.

The big news on the restaurant scene in Copenhagen will be the opening of several new and exciting restaurants in the Refshaleøen area of the city.

Firstly, in January 2019, Matt Orlando, the former head chef at Noma and the creator of Amass will open Broaden & Build. The organic brewery and casual eatery will explore a creative collaboration between a chef and a brewer, where flavour and sustainability are the driving force. It will be located in the house of the former Royal Theatre’s scenery storage unit and will share the space with the new breweries – Empirical Spirits distillery.

Meanwhile, the trend for street food courts continues to gather pace with the expansion of Copenhagen Street Food from its original location on the Paper Island (Papirøen) to a new site also in Refshaleøen called Copenhagen Street Food Reffen. Whilst Boltens Food Court will be the opening in 2019 in a renovated building near Kongens Nytorv in the centre of Copenhagen. With 19 international restaurants, including two Vegan offerings and five bars, including a Carlsberg Brooklyn Bar, it will cover three floors of the old timbered building.

Chilling with Copenhagen Street Food Reffen, c. Martin Kaufmann

For those eagerly awaiting the new Nordic Michelin Guide it has now been revealed that the launch will be taking place on Monday 18 February in Aarhus.

Getting there

Three new Ryanair flights add to the choice of airlines serving Denmark in 2019. Twice weekly flights from Edinburgh to Billund, Liverpool to Copenhagen and Southend to Copenhagen are starting in April 2019. Price from £25.99 per person one way.

SAS has also announced the launch of its thrice weekly flight from Manchester and Aarhus. Starting in April the flights will operate Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Price from £60 per person one way.

Whilst EasyJet commenced twice weekly flights from Gatwick to Aarhus from 2 November 2018. Price from £35,20 per person one way.

Before setting up Travel Begins at 40, Mark was the publisher of AsiaLIFE Cambodia and a freelance travel writer. He has written the Inspector Satya trilogy novels: To Cook A Spider, Peppered Justice and Unravelling the Web (due to be published in 2019), as well as the shorts Always, A Slow Death and Sleeping Beauty. Loves walking, eating, beer, isolation and arthouse movies.

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Travel Begins at 40

They say that life begins at forty, so too can travel. Travel Begins at 40 is a website aimed at the independent-minded, mature and empathetic traveller. From cultural tourism to homestays, adventure travel and eco-tourism, our team of travel writing experts have shared their best – and worst – travel experiences with you, as well as providing insight into the most exciting destinations on the planet, and the more interesting things you can do once you get there. Let the adventure begin. Read more →